It is amazing the number of workers who use their company-issued smartphone, laptop, or computer for personal reasons. Seriously, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the boss, a manager, line supervisor, HR professional, or an elected official, mixing your personal and professional lives together via a company-issued laptop or device is risky business for both you and the company.

Think about the number of coworkers, friends and family members you know who shop online, post personal status updates on social media sites, work on personal projects for a side gig, church, and fundraiser or do schoolwork using a company-issued device. Interestingly, some have the audacity to use work devices for amoral activates.

Take, for example, the Alabama fiasco that contributed to downfall of a 74 -year-old politician who used his state-issued iPhone to secretly text his lover who is 30-years younger than him. Governor Robert Bentley had an affair with his married political advisor Rebekah Mason. Robert was clueless. In short, he did not know his iPhone was pair to the state-issued iPad he gave his wife, Dianne Bentley via the iCloud messaging account.

After his wife found out about the affair, she collected evidence (screenshots, photos, recordings, and so on) that brought him to the brink of impeachment and prompted a series of criminal investigations. He resigned. As a part of his plea deal, Robert promised not to hold public office again.

Another one bites the dust…

Another one bites the dust…

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust…

Newsflash: Your work devices; computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and cellphone are not private! Even your office phone is not as private as you may think.

Do you have coworkers, friends, and family members who use their company-issued smartphone, laptop, or computer for personal reasons? You might want to tell them that, nowadays, most company-issued devices are monitored to some degree.

Apparently, some workers don’t know phone calls, voice mail messages, emails, text messages, browsing history, etc. are not private. If your employer pays for detailed billing, every call in and out is available.

Advancements in technology make it easy for employers to retrieve not only this information, but also virtually track employees’ activity, location, and so on with software. For instance, a keylogger can record every keystroke on a company-issued device to a log file. Now, this is not to make people paranoid, instead to make you aware.

Seriously, why use your their devices for personal reasons? Do you really want your employer to know that much about your personal life? Using your work-device for personal reason is just a bad idea and it’s bad for business.

Some people carelessly use company-issued cellphones for everything. While it may be convenient, it is not wise. Consider Governor Bentley’s case. Surely, the politician didn’t plan on his wife, state, or the world finding out his secret. His sex scandal “staggered the state, brought him to the brink of impeachment and prompted a series of criminal investigations.” He just got caught!

If you’re just starting your first internship, a new job or darn near a lifer at your place of employment, remember you should never mix your personal and professional lives together especially via a company-issued cellphone, laptop or other smart devices. It is not worth the risk!